It's really Schnauss's choice of drum sounds and patterns that prevent A Long Way to Fall from sounding like a toothless ambient piece.

In creating a warm, intimate sound emphasizing piano and organ over acoustic guitar for the first time, Hayden sounds content even when talking about mortality.

Wraetlic is a dark record, delicately assembled to provide the listener with an experience in humanistic truth, a subject in which Smoke has succeeded quite well in outlining.

Twenty-two years later, My Bloody Valentine is still the band everyone's talking about, and although it may not necessarily build on Loveless, there's no audible reason m b v shouldn't be spoken of in the same hushed, venerating tones.

Sadly, today there's nothing to distinguish Lowery and co. from scores of other unfocused bands trying to combine too many disparate elements.

Afrobeat, techno, Latin rhythms, jazz and electronica fly by thick and fast on We Will Not Harm You in a dizzying display that's both comfortingly familiar and wildly futuristic.

With Big Star now put to rest following the passing of Alex Chilton, Stamey is the rightful person to fill his shoes. Lovesick Blues offers more than enough proof that he's fully prepared to do just that.

Berberian Sound Studio is far from an essential album, but it's definitely a welcome surprise addition for fans of Broadcast, the movie itself or fans of Italian horror soundtrack artists such as Goblin.

Forever Endeavour is indeed a humble record, but as with its touchstones, the album's power lies in its simplicity.

It ends with a breakdown and is littered with weighty riffs. However, these aren't forced or the focus of the band's sound, instead complementing the incredibly polished rock.

On News from Nowhere, Darkstar have completed their transformation from playing in an overexposed genre to being in an irresolute one.

This is Nguyen's strongest work yet, with the aforementioned songwriting taking a leap forward, while gradually perfecting her melting pot sound of country, folk and pop.

Unlike most of his peers, Thompson is defying the march of time, continuing to write and perform at an exceptional level. Electric easily deserves a place alongside his best solo releases.

Goldenheart functions as a hypnotic aural distraction, but little more.

A deceptively lush record full of moments of striking beauty.

The pair are making strummable instruments sound new again, and it sounds like redemption. Proceed frantically and without caution.

There's a subtle audaciousness to My God is Blue that pulls the listener in; it's almost like Sébastien Tellier is channelling a gloomy saviour.

Though things work best when Pierce allows enough space amidst the music for the actual songs to flourish, even the jostling of the overcrowded bits is wonderful and energetic.

Whether you came of age in the '90s or were just born then, the History of Apple Pie have what you need.

Sure, the LP falters when it casts its net too wide, particularly on the Roxette-indebted "Love They Say" and Twin Shadow outtake "Shock to Your System," but those moments are few.

This isn't the boldest step forward, but it looks like Local Natives are on a steady ascent and Hummingbird is sure to solidify them as one of the best indie-rock bands out there today.

If you've got a unquenchable thirst for reverb-y guitar pop, The Flower Lane is a pleasant album worth a listen, but those looking for something more should probably look elsewhere.

The rub is that Cult of Luna do the 13-minute-song thing so well on their sixth album (which is about four hours long) it's scary.

If there were any doubts among the faithful about legendary Quebec prog-metal dudes Voivod being able to recapture the magic of their classic era in the absence of deceased guitarist Denis "Piggy" D'Amour, they're shattered within moments of the title track.

Garage, house and techno are twisted into strange new forms over the 70-odd minutes that UFO holds us enthralled for.

Oak Island has a deftness that makes it hard to resist, but some songs disappear under the weight of everything that's transpiring.

It's a leaner, grittier iteration of Arbouretum that slowly lopes out of the starting blocks on this fifth full-length.

The relentless gothic signifiers too often leave you in the cold, wondering why you didn't spend the last 45 minutes enhancing or deepening your more sinister feelings, rather than drowning beneath them.

Anything in Return functions as an all-in-one summary of Bundick's talents, giving the impression of a maturing songwriter who has found his wheelhouse.

Black Rock is still filled with McCombs' spacious, isolating tracks ("Tonight at Ten," "Gold!"), which are best for lonely winter evenings.

While the album is a drone-based record, Mountains never stagnate, unafraid of abrasive movement, and their sometimes intense palette never feels out of place or unpleasant.

Fidlar is easily one of the most energetic and fun-filled records in a while.

The band's decision to eschew their trademark orchestration in favour of a more synth-driven sound was, sadly, a mistake.

True North (their 16th LP) lacks the visceral power and focused sense of purpose their trio of post-Epitaph return albums had, the band nevertheless sound unwilling to go gently into that good night.

Orth starts off with a very promising narrative, but soon loses the listener, and himself, in the world he's created.

A little more variety certainly would flesh out the band's releases, but as it stands these 15 songs fit together nicely, giving the impression of one deliriously long writing session.

Weber's creative theoretical and instrumental approach is unique, but the abrasive and connotative tonal qualities of the carillon often overshadow the colourful subtleties of the finer details of his delicate arrangements.

As a solo debut, Lysandre is a self-indulgent effort that succeeds in spite of itself; it also signals an artist shaking off the shackles of the past and embracing a wider range of sounds and ideas.

You'll love this album, but you won't learn much from it.

The band's 14th record finds Yo La Tengo settling into a late career renaissance that revisits the timbre of some of their best records (especially the quiet grace of And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out) without rehashing them, providing a welcome counterpoint to their slightly louder and more bombastic later efforts.

While Container doesn't sound like he's challenged himself creatively on his most recent album, listeners who have yet to hear his indistinguishable, ear-splitting sound will find some auditory excitement.

Although the band manage to avoid the self-indulgence that often comes with ability and ambition, Autotheism does occasionally lose steam.

If the record's volume number wasn't enough to suggest that Lil Wayne's long-running Dedication mixtape series was getting a little stale, a few short verses into this repetitive and lyrically lazy affair should definitely set those thoughts in motion.

O.N.I.F.C. starts off with "Intro," a Cardo and Sledgren joint that sums up the production: 808 drums, skittering hi-hats and saccharine melodies, although the atmosphere is meaner than Rolling Papers.

There are some good songs on Jesus Piece, but they're decent in spite of the Game, not because of him.

It's unfortunate that Vicious Lies has come out after everyone has finished compiling their year-end lists, but it's already a contender for best record of 2013.

While a slight step forward, Nocturne, like all of Wild Nothing's output to date, still inhales all of its influences--the women, the hurt, the favourite records stuck on late night repeat--and exhales them in to a beautiful, swirling, ethereal cloud.

Other Worlds proves Bergsman has a good thing going with these inspirational voyages, leaving the listener besotted and desperate to know just where she'll head next.

Fay has lost none of his ability to capture the wonder of life in his words.

God of the Serengeti should impress fans and may even bring back some of those who miss the Psycho-Social days.

The majority of the record does take the tortoise's path to victory and proves that with this kind of music, it's really not a race at all, but a fight.

Northern Shore explores terrain that's simultaneously familiar and bracingly fresh; it's a gem.

This is easily one of their best albums, which is no small feat six albums into such an illustrious career.

It's not often to encounter music this conceptually sophisticated and well executed that also, in its most secret depths, simply hates you.

It's more fun than 2010's Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa, but with a slightly less lurid and lingering "oomph" than classic Cradle of Filth.

With this hugely energetic disc, consisting of eight tunes in 32 minutes, Early Graves have proven that they can survive a horrible catastrophe and continue to make great music.

Ocean Roar proves to be a cinematic experience that's good more often than not.

There is a catchiness to the song structures that occasionally brushes against an industrial influence.

Lovelessness is an ugly, abject work that challenges the listener to accept both unhappiness and disgust, conveyed with power, intelligence and artfulness.

While the mix is peppered with samples from Butler's yoga guru, Parahamansa Yogananda, aiming for a spiritual vibe, this set is really one big party.

Grace/Confusion could have been a great 20-minute EP. Instead, it's a listless 40 minutes that works best as background music.

Scott Walker is one of the true geniuses of modern music and the treasures are as rich as ever for those prepared to go the distance.

Although it may not be essential listening for Mogwai fans, A Wrenched Virile Lore's recontextualized tracks certainly allow for greater appreciation of one of the band's best albums in years.

An immersive and atmospheric sonic experience, one made all the better by the group's much-improved songwriting chops.

Bold and robust, these eight tracks are sure to engage any fan of the label's prior output.

On their debut, they don't seek to out-pummel other contemporary hashers with speed or heaviness; rather it's on the golden fields of mood and groove where they excel.

The mixed bag nature of Don't Be Scared that is its downfall: a lack of consistency leads to the album sounding more like a DJ set than a cohesive record.

This Working Girl's Guitar is in top form here.

Ohio native sons MHz (Copywrite, the late Camu Tao, Tage Future, Jakki Da Motamouth and producer RJD2) have finally released their long-overdue debut album, MHz Legacy, and it doesn't disappoint.

Kaleidoscope Dream is a statement that Miguel has arrived.

This is an astonishing album, but not an easy listen.

It's a gritty, soulful sound that holds The Solution together, seemingly aspiring to be nothing more than "Boot Camp meets Little Brother": familiar and stress-free for an audience seeking a vintage feel in their hip-hop.

It's when producer the Alchemist trims and arranges that Bronson becomes a salable bouquet.

This might not be the golden, triumphant comeback Aguilera had hoped for, but it's pretty close and, let's face it, it's better than most Top 40 music right now.

Is it less than the sum of its parts? Perhaps. However, it is an ambitious and interesting album that not only plugs the gap nicely between Tim Hecker and Oneohtrix Point Never albums but signals interesting things to come from Lopatin's SSTUDIOS series.

The Santa Barbarite has focused even more on textured, hazy compositions, allowing much of the album to move at an ebb-and-flow pace.

From the Vaults is a collection of b-sides presented and packaged as a full-blown studio release, and it's worth the effort.

Using the album as a full-length thesis on the blending of Berlin and Manchester sounds causes Living With Ghosts to feel rather analogous and tedious, at times.

At times emotive and playful, Broderick has created a cohesive album of delicate, Russell-esque melodies with enough wonkiness, experimentation and spoken word to make a unique, personal and engaging release of happy accidents.

The production is on point and the rhyme patterns are above average, but there's a distinct lack of cohesion.

It's an odd album, but a good one, which will make you smile at its slightly off-kilter weirdness while soothing your weary bones.

Levi hasn't exactly grown with each and every album, and his wheel spinning has gotten the better of him again, because, apart from a couple of catchy tunes, Medicine isn't very exciting.

18 Months has all the makings of a smash hit, but if you're looking for substance, you're better off looking elsewhere.

It may take a while before 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! is accepted amongst the ranks of their earlier work, if that ever happens, but ultimately, this is the same epic, mystifying GY!BE as always.

It's not game changing, but Saigon's fanbase will love it, and sometimes it's better to stick with what you know.

These are soundscapes rather than tracks.

There are few out there above what he has achieved with Lonerism.

NYC's Roc Marciano follows up his 2010 critically celebrated solo debut, Marcberg, with a sequel nonpareil in its originality and craftsmanship.

Lux might not be breaking new ground, but given the beauty and resonance inherent in Eno's music when he sticks with what he does well--namely, gorgeous, slow moving ambience with plenty of breathing space and emotional impact--revisiting familiar turf is just fine.

By focusing on the scars that aren't always visible on the surface, Crystal Castles have delivered their most consistent album yet.

Freed from the confines of their regular gigs, Morby and Ramone go for broke, creating a record with hooks that just won't quit.

Smith's music resonates with the suffering and the dreams of a better life that embodied the decade of 1954 to 1964 that is the subject of this powerful compendium of compositions.

What sets Dagdrøm apart from their other work is just how deep this rabbit hole goes and how menacing the sounds echoing up from its depths are.

While not as artful as one would like, it's a strong effort and a step in the right direction.

Fe3O4 ― Magnetite will not come as a huge surprise sonically to those familiar with his back catalogue. That said, it is nonetheless sufficiently perplexing, abstract and rich to offer much incentive to return to it for any listener willing to be absorbed into his forbidding sonic universe.

Just as prolific in death as they were in life (perhaps even more so), with Temporal, Isis continue to haunt their career like fretful ghosts.

Luxury Problems is a highly impressive full-length album of dark, atmospheric techno.

Smalhans is an enjoyable listen, though it's creatively limited when compared to Lindstrøm's previous work, not providing much more to the listener than a feel-good album.